What is hurling?

Hurling has been played since pre-historic times in Ireland. In it’s modern form, the players use paddle-shaped bats to lift, flick, carry, and hit a small ball across a massive pitch and, with luck, into or over the opponents goal to score. The play moves as fast and as chaotically as the ball can be maneuvered.

Here’s a clip of a top-level game:

Hurling players train to play by developing skills in maneuvering around the pitch like a soccer player, strength in the tackle or lacrosse-like agility in dodging it, the stick-work dexterity of field hockey, the catching and striking power of baseball or cricket, and the courage to stand their ground.

Our hurling club trains together to build these skills and compete, but practicing hurling can also be its own goal. “Pucking around” is what it’s called when striking the ball back and forth amongst friends, like playing catch but way more fun and a healthy way to pass the time with a touch of exercise. Hurling is a sport, but is more than a sport, it is a practice of movement.

The rules

The national organization that runs hurling in North America (with the exception of New York City) is the US GAA, and they summarize the sport and rules here. A brief synopsis of the rules is in this infographics from Colorado’s club The Regulators:

Hurling organization

As summarized by the Indianapolis Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA):

Hurling is a traditional Irish field sport and one of the five Gaelic games promoted by Ireland’s Gaelic Athletic Association. Despite sporadic periods of widespread interest in the U.S., the sport has endured a historically sparse presence here. Since the first accounts of North American hurling matches in the late 18th century, activity has been centered in a few large cities, and the game has been played primarily by Irish immigrants.

In recent times, however, Americans outside the traditional centers of Irish culture have gained a passion for the sport. Exposure to hurling has increased through media such as satellite television and the Internet, as well as from the ongoing promotion by the GAA and our local governing body, the North American GAA.

Hurling at Stanford

Visit this page for more history of the club.